Greenhouse glass seal



July 5, 1938. M. MORRIS GREENHOUSE GLASS SEAL Filed Jan. 24, 1938 \A, \W A ww\\ A V fnl/enior, Wen/van? f/orr/ y m mm fliiorneya Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

' This invention relates to means for securing a durablewater tight seal between glass and supporting rafters such as for example in a greenhouse. where the roof structure is made up of overlapping panes of glass laid in shingle fashion to rest by lateral edges on shoulders formed in wood or steel rafters.

A primary object of the invention is'not only to provide a water tight seal but to provide means for preventing deterioration of the rafter particularly when it is made of wood and at the same time permit replacing broken glasses should the occasion arise without having to take out a whole panel of glass.

In the usual practice heretofore, the glasses have been bedded in putty and a seal of putty runover the edges to unite with the rafter part projecting between adjacent rows or panels of the glasses. It is extremely difficult to make putty permanently adhere to wood or steel under the moist conditions arising in greenhouse practice and particularly during expansion and contraction as set up under the extremely variable weather conditions.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art, such asease of application and low cost of installation, all as will become apparent in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a section of a greenhouse cover embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a detail in transverse section through a I rafter;

Fig. 3, a similar detail with the parts in disassembled relation and on a smaller scale;

Fig. 4, a detail in top plan view of an end of a channel member; and

Fig. 5, a longitudinal section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

The usual rafter ID is. employed, rabbeted on both sides of the top portion to form shoulders H and [2, Fig. 2, to leave a central portion l3 to extend upwardly between the adjacent glasses l4 and I5. A stripor ribbon I6 is laid along the shoulder l l and a like strip ll along the shoulder l2. These strips or ribbons I6 and I1 are preferably made out of rubber, sponge rubber'being particularly well adapted for the purpose but any suitable resilient material such as a good quality of felt may be usable in this location. The

- glasses I l and are then laidto have their lateral edges rest on the respective strips IBand H as indicated in the drawing.

A strip l8 of rubbenpreferably sponge rubber, is formedto have a width such that the strip may be pressed down against the rafter portion I3 and have the ends of that strip l8 carried around and downwardly into compressive contact with the upper faces of the glasses l4 and Ill. The strip l8 while being. usable with a rectangular cross section, is preferably formed to have a reduced thickness through a central portion to permit bending over the rafter portion l3 and present widened or thickened ends against the sides of the portion [3 and in contact withthe glasses l4 and I5. However, since the strip I8 is preferably made out of sponge rubber, it is easily compressed around the rafter portion I3 through a variety of cross-sectional shapes, the essential feature being that the ends of the strip l8' are brought around into compressive contact with the marginal edges of the glasses l4 and I5 and against the sides of the rafter portion l3 so as to form a water tight seal under a yielding pressure.

The strip IB is carried down around the portion l3 and there maintained by means of a channel member l9, herein shown as having substantially a U-shaped form in section. Instead of malt-1 ing the channel member IS in a continuous length throughout the length of the. rafter, I prefer to make the channel in short lengths covering from one to two or threeglasses l4 and I5 up the wall or roof. One particular way for attaching the channel portions to the rafter which I find to be extremely simple and easily operated consists of providing one end of the channel member IS! in each instance with a slot and an indentation 2| in longitudinal alignment with the slot 20, and then inserting a screw member 22 through the slot 20, through the rubber strip l8 and down into the rafter Hl into screw-threaded engage ment therewith. The upper end of the screw member 22 is provided with a hooked head formed as indicated in Fig. 5, where the shank of the member 22 is curved around and downwardly into a foot 23 formed to rest normally in the indentation 2| asindicated in Fig. 5. The rubber strip l8 beneath the channel member l9is of course resilient which permits the pushing downwardly of the channel member IE! to permit turning of the screw member 22 to bring the foot 23 into and out of seating engagement in the indentation 21. While of course, both ends of the channel member l9 may be held down as indicated, it is not necessary in running the sections up the rafter. The screw member 22 may be used through the lower end of the channel only and then the next upper channel I!) may have its lower end lapped over the top end of the first channel member to have the screw member 22 in the second channel press that second channel compressively against the first channel and thereby'hold that end of thefirst channel securely in position without need of a screw member 22 through the upper end of the first channel. However, in the drawing, Fig. 1, it is indicated how the channel members may be formed to take two of these securing members 22 if found desirable.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the glasses [4 and I5 are laid to have their lower ends in overlapping position on the next below glasses all as is commonly done in laying of such roofs. Since the strips I6 and I! as well as the top strip l8 are made of a very resilient material, this material will bed itself down and around the lower or butt ends of the glasses l4 and l 5 to effect a very efiicient water tight seal about the glass edges adjacent the rafter In. In further reference to the channels I 9, should a glass M or I5 be broken and therefore require replacing, the screw members 22 in the channels l9 adjacent those broken glasses may be turned around so as to release the feet 23 of the screw members 22 from those channel indentations 2| and permit lifting of the channel members by reason of the slots 20 permitting sliding movement then about the screws 22. The broken glass may then be removed and the replacement glass inserted under the strip l 3 and over the strip [6 or I! as the case may be and the channel member then restored to position and the parts brought into compressive engagement again as above indicated.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a greenhouse wall or roof structure havinga plurality of spaced apart glass carrying members and panes of glass between the members, said members being provided with a central upwardly extending portion with a glass supporting shoulder on each side, means for sealing becompressive engagement against said member tween the glass and said members comprising a strip of resilient material on each shoulder on which material the glass rests, a strip of resilient material of the nature of rubber separate from the sealing means on the shoulders, having thickened edges and laid straight over said member portions and then bent around the sides thereof and down against the glass, and means for bending and maintaining said last strip around and in portions and said glass.

2. In a greenhouse wall or roof structure having a plurality of spaced apart glass carrying members and panes of glass between the members,

said members being provided with a central upwardly extending portion with a glass supporting shoulder on each side, means for sealing between the glass and said members comprising a strip of resilient material on each shoulder on which material the glass rests, a strip of resilient material of the nature of rubber separate from the sealing means on the shoulders, having thickened edges and laid straight over said member portions and then bent around the sides thereof and down against the glass, and means for bending and maintaining said last strip around and in compressive engagement against said member portions and said glass, all of said strips being made of relatively soft rubber, and said means consisting of a metal channel member having side portions directing the edges of said overlying strip-into contact with said glass and sides of said member portions.

3. In a greenhouse wall or roof structure having a plurality of spaced apart glass carrying members and panes of glass between the members, said members being provided with a central upwardly extending portion with a glass supporting shoulder on each side, means for sealing between the glass and said members comprising a strip of resilient material on each shoulder on which material the glass rests, a strip of resilient material of the nature of rubber separate from the sealing means on the shoulders, having thickened edges and laid straight over said member portions and then bent around the sides thereof and down against the glass, and means for bending and maintaining said last strip around and in compressive engagement against said member portions and said glass, said means comprising a channel member, and channel securing means extending through the channel member into engagement with said glass supporting members, said channel and securing means being formed for releasable engagement.

4. In a greenhouse wall or roof structure having a plurality of spaced apart glass carrying members and panes of glass between the members, said members being provided with a central upwardly extending portion with a glass supporting shoulder on each side, means for sealing between the glass and said members comprising a strip of resilient material on each shoulder on which material the glass rests, a strip of resilient material of the nature of rubber laid over said member portions and carried around the sides thereof and down against the glass, and means for maintaining said last strip in compressive engagement between said member portions and said glass, said means comprising a U-shaped channel with its legs engaging downwardly over said overlying strip and being made in lengths one overlapping the other for sectional removal, said channel lengths being longitudinally slotted with an indent at an end of the slot, and a holding member rockably seated in the glass carrying member having a head that will go through the slot lengthwise of the slot but not crosswise, said head having an indent engaging extension.

5. In a greenhouse wall or roof structure having a plurality of spaced apart glass carrying members and panes of glass between the members, said members being provided with a central upwardly extending portion with a glass supporting shoulder on each side, means for sealing between the glass and said members comprising a strip of resilient material on each shoulder on which material the glass rests, a strip of resilient material of the nature of rubber laid over said member portions and carried around the sides thereof and down against the glass, and means for maintaining said last strip in compressive engagement between said member portions and said glass, said means comprising a U-shaped channel with its legs engaging downwardly over said overlying strip and being made in lengths one overlapping the other for sectional removal, each of said channel lengths being provided with a slot therethrough, and a channel engaging member passed through the slot and overlying strip into engagement with the glass supporing member hereunder, said channel engaging member having a head thereon normally turned over said slot for maintaining said compressive engagement and permitting turning for release through said slot.

MERCHANT MORRIS. 

